Means for disposing of waste products and utilizing components thereof



- vJune l21, 1927. A. ENGLE MEANS Foa DlvslosNG oF wAsTE PRODUCTS N15 UTILIZING COMPONENTS 'THNREOF Filed Aug. 24. 1925 INVENTOR flncrew En', )e

BY i v l g ATTORNEY Patented .June 21, 1927.

UNITED vSTATES Y 1,633,118@ kPATE;1\1T OFFICE;

ANDREW ENGLE, OE NEWTONfIOWA, vASSIGNOIR OFV ONE-HALF TO` JAMES MAINE, OF

DES MOINES, IOWA.

1 MEANS FOR DISPOSING OF WASTE RODUCTS ANDUTILIZING COMPONENTS THEREOF.

Application sied August 211,V 1925.' serial 110152,195.

night soil, and treating it in such a way that parts of it may be utilized for a fertilizer or the like.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved constructionfor a container or septic tank into which sewage may be deposited and treated in a way to purify and clarify it and permit its use as a fertilizer. Q

A further lobject is to provide a convenientway for drawing off liquid parts of the sewage, clarifying` and purifying the same, and utilizing such parts as a fertilizing means.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, ar-

rangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the claim and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which The view, on the drawing, is a longitudinal section, illustrating, more or less diagrammatically, the construction of my improved devices.' Y

In the construction of the means as shown the numeral 10 designates generally a con-i tainer or tank which may be made of concrete and located beneath the surface of the soil, at such depth as to prevent freezing. The tank 1() is divided by a transverse partition 11, of soft brick or the like, into anv initial compartment 12 and a larger compartment 13. An inlet pipe 14 discharges into the upper portion of the initialeompartment 12 and preferably is provided with a trap 15, and it is designed to receive sewage from any place such as house or other public or private building. The solid portions of the sewage are retained for a time in the compartment 12, but the yliquid portions may seep through the soft brick partition 11 into the compartment 13. The respective compartments 12 and 13 are provided with manholes 16 and 17, having covers 18 and 19 with their rims extending into annular seals 2() and 21 designed to be filled with a liquid, which may be of nonfreezing character when required.

the toilets of a school-A If desired a pump such as 22, designed for manual operation or otherwise, may be mounted on and communicate with the interior of the :compartment 13 near its bottom,

said pump beingoprovided with a discharge n pipe 23 leading to the inlet pipe 141 above the trap 15. The pump may be used to liquid from the compartment 13 for the purpose of flushing the inlet pipe 14; and its trap, to save too great dilution of the contents o'f the tank by flushing with water.

A kSiphon pipe may be provided, here designated by the numeral 211, leadin'gfrom a point near the bottom of the compartment 13 upwardly therein, then through the wall to anydesired location and thendownwardly and discharging at a point lower than its inlet end. The Siphon pipe may be provided with a hand operated shutoff valve 25 at any suitable location.l In the present instance -I have shown the siphon pipe 24 discharging into a filtering tank 26 which may also be constructed of concrete and placed in any -suitable i location, preferably under ground. This tank is open and hasa horizontal partition or false lbottom 27, of soft brick orother suitable porous material. Be-

-neaththe false bottom 27 there is a bed of filteringsand 28 or theflike which rests on .thebottom of the tank. A discharge pipe 29 leads fromthe bottom of the tank 26 to any suitable location.

In practical luse the waste materials are deposited in the compartment 12 as described and the liquid parts seep through the partition 11 and fill the compartment 13 toa level corresponding to that in the first compartment. The compartments being closed and sealed, the bacteria present in the material operate to the production Vof nitrates without decomposition `and putrefaction. The material may be allowed to remain in the closed tank for any desired time within the capacity thereof, and may from time to time be removedv from the compartments 12 and 13 through the manholes 16 and 17 respectively, by means of pumps or the like. As the solid material in the compartment is moist because of the presence of part of the liquid components therein, it doesnot decompose, rot or dry out and is easily'handled by pumping or dipping. The solid and liquid parts so removed may be utilized as fertilizer in their state as when removed, or they may be further treated to produce comminuted and finished fertilizer Yby any method; or the solid portions may be dried and treated to produce a fuel by any desired method, Which methods form no part of my present invention.

A pipe 80 may be provided, leading into the compartment 13 from any suitable source, which is employed to convey into the contents of said compartment at times an antiseptic substanceror chemical of any suitable nature for killing dangerous or noxious bacteria, germs or microbes, especially When the Waste material is thought to contain disease germs. vThe pipe 30 terminates in a perforated pipe 31 leading along the bottom of the con'ipartment by means of which the antisepticsubstance isl diffused through the contents of the compartment. The pipe 30 is controlled by a valve 32.

Sometimes it may be desirable to draw the liquid contents from the compartment by means of the s'iphon pipev 24, Which may be done when the liquid level rises above the horizontal portion of saidrpip'e, by opening the valve 25. The liquid contents of the compartments are discharged into the filtering tank Q6 upon the false bottom 27, Which ret-ains any solid matter or sediment Which maybe present, the liquid passing through the porous material of *said bottom to the filter bed 28, Where it is further clarified and purified. it may then pass off through the pipe 2 9 to any suitable place of dischar-.O'e and may then beplaced upon the soil for ertilizing purposes, for Which it is very useful.

The liquid in the tank l Will naturally contain a large amount of ammonia, and this may be removed by Ydistillation and utilized, when tlieinetliod is used of removing the liquid through the manholes 17 and 16. v

The means and devices hereinv described Will be found very valuable for use in connection with private homes, school buildings, hotels, camps, public or private buildings where many people congregate, and in many other places. It may be used to displace not only the open privy vault or similar structure,- but also the so-called modern but highly unsanitary and dangerous methods by vvnic'li sewage is turned into streams and other bodies of Water.

It is obvious that the size and capacity of the tank may be varied greatly in accordance with Vthe need at a specific location; and there is no harm in making it of such size that it need be emptied but once a year, as there is no fermentation or decomposition, no noxious gases to escape, and no odor.

Another benefit and advantage of using this sort of means for disposing ofthe Waste materials, is that it. prevents the breeding of fiies such as occurs Yvvhen such material is left in the open, and the' consequent spreading of disease germs by them.

claim as my inventionin a means for disposing of waste materials and utilizing components thereof in- Vcluding a closed tank divided into tivo compartments, a supply means comI'Jrisingl an inlet pipe provided With a trap for introducii'ig Waste materials to the initial compartment, a part of the liquid component being permitted to passto the' second compartment, and a pump device communicating with the second compartment and adapted to' discharge liquid therefrom to' the inlet pipe for the purpose of flushfitngit and the trap and thereby preventing'undue dilution of the contents of the tafnk.

vSigned at Besv Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, this th day of August, 1925.

ANDREW" Euer-Jn. 

